Coronavirus Part 37, Priorities and Leading a Healthy Life

          The days of fewer cases are upon us these days. The caseload is falling since almost last two months. But the reduction has been very nominal in the last week. The average of cases is 46 thousand which is 4 thousand less than earlier week. Compared to the earlier fall, this is less. None the less, the infections and positivity rate are dropping. Now that the situation is improving, let us look at another important number which is the total active cases in the country. The active cases are nearly 5 lakhs which is a huge number in itself. Our priority and concentration should be to make it zero and get our country to the shores of virus-free zone. There are still few obstacles along the way which are: 1.Unlock measures by states 2. The other countries of the world are still registering infections.

         Talking of the first point, it is a catch-22 situation of whether to lock or unlock. You can’t do either of these in these days. If you unlock, there is a possibility of infections rising and triggering another wave. If you lock, you are paying huge price for a small product. The gut feeling and predictions of the best persons should navigate us by making the right decisions. But the experience of past year tells, it is almost impossible to make active cases zero by unlocking everything. Countries like Australia imposed lockdown in cities when the active cases are in single digit. With just 4 or 5 cases in Melbourne, people in the city are kept indoors. The idea is to make it zero. Even this is the same in few other countries with good rules to arrest the spread. This is the stringency of rules and importance given to the pandemic. We are staring at the catch-22 as we can’t take a step forward or backward. No one can confidently tell if we should give priority to lock or unlock.

           The second obstacle in making active cases zero is the fast transmission of virus in the perspective of entire world. As long as countries suffer from high infections as happening in Europe, South and Latin America even today, there is meagre hope of eliminating the virus from a single country. We are living in extremely interconnected and interdependent world where the safety of the planet should be given highest priority to percolate it to your own nation. Work and pray for the virus-free world and your own country will be virus-free. This is once again a catch to connect or disconnect. Countries can’t impose complete travel ban or allow everything to move freely as in pre-covid times. No one can tell with assurance if we should give priority to connect or disconnect.  Thus, in a huge country like India where governments are liberal in acceding to the demands of people, there is little hope in the near future to see a virus-free country unless it is completely eliminated from the planet. Truly speaking, a virus-free world is hard to conceive at this point and it may take many months (or years) to arrive.

          Coming to the vaccinations, a total of 34.5 crore vaccination doses are administered till date which are 3.5 crore more than last week. It tells more than 50 lakh doses are given each day since the past many days. As per sources, there will be 12 crore vaccines available in the month of July which indicates the rate of administering vaccines will remain unchanged in this month as well. The policy of giving 75% free to government and 25% to private players is very commendable as it eliminates the proportionate bottlenecks in smooth distribution. There is huge demand but there are sources to get the vaccine as long as one is prepared to pay some price. The paid slots are mostly available and all the companies, industries of varying sizes must come forward to vaccinate its employees through this channel with appropriate hospital tie-ups. The investment is negligible when compared to the returns as the employees can work better with low risk improving profitability and productivity. I got vaccinated through this medium for both doses this week and urge everyone to get inoculated as well.

          Next on the priority, the pandemic allowed me to grow and do things which couldn’t happen earlier. I was happy to contribute locally which is always at the back of my mind. I contributed to the community I am living, my city, state and country, which is always the priority to work. I never did as much other than rotating between countries in the first few years.  A question rose at that time, what have you done locally that you are going places? What have you done to the country and its people? Where did your priorities lie? Any ordinary or great person should first act at the base or local level. You need to work for your own people who are the source of your strength, which is the hardest thing to do. It is like giving back or rewarding or clearing the debt you owe to the people who built you. As always, clearing this debt is toughest thing to do.

        The saying always goes that you need to act locally while thinking globally. Bringing global narrative to local regions keeps you relevant to the outside world while at the same time keeps you rooted to your roots. I hope my service locally and to the country has been a revelation under the disguise of second wave. This is an important area of growth which happened to me during the recent past. Hope my own growth enables many others to make this country what it is.

          Another topic on priority is everyone thinks I am doing good and everything is green. But it is also an illusion as I know how much I am going through mentally and physically. I know the risks I am taking since the past few years. I know the thinking I am going through since the past few years. I know I am living on the edge with a lot of onus on my heart and head. I know I am living a ‘sorry’ and ‘unknown’ life during several frequent periods at length. I know I am leading a ‘bull run’ giving least priority to important factors. I know I need to work for the assurance in well-being of many persons, factors which crosses my path. Finally, I know I am trying to find my own well-being while going through all the above unwell circumstances.

          As continuity, let me delve on an important area of physical and mental fitness. Indians are very loose in their approach towards fitness. Most of us lead unhealthy lifestyles without any approach to physical and mental well-being. Doing yoga or going to a Gym is a good medicine to many problems. It helps those who are leading sedentary lifestyles. It makes you to concentrate and reduce your mental stress while improving physical fitness. For an example, consider the health of our heart. An estimated 17.9 million people died from heart problems in 2016, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 85% were due to heart attack and stroke. Over 75% of heart-related deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries where raised blood pressure happens to be amongst the most important risk factors. In India, the number of people who passed away due to cardiovascular diseases has increased by 53% in the last 5 years. One in 4 deaths is due to cardiovascular problems in the country.

          By taking care of our health, physical well-being and fitness this can be prevented. Our body should not become a garbage dump on the hospital bed for a doctor to clean and fix. There is quote in Telugu which says ‘Dehame Devalayam’ which means our body is a temple where God resides. We should keep it as clean and healthy as a place of worship. Physical fitness should be a mandatory topic for all students and should be habituated at a young age. Yoga, meditation, fitness routines should be part of every curriculum to make our country really healthy. Let us take off the burden from the doctors on the eve of the doctors day by leading a healthy lifestyle. Personally, I know my body is never part of any tuning and grown wildly. It might take many months to restore the loss at this age. But I am willing to make it happen and bring back the shape.